After watching the music video, the gathering seemed to mellow out, as that was the major event of the night. Everyone was impressed with the music, and more than a few were wondering what that thing was and where Mad Dawg got it. Then followed those questions up with what had happened to end up with Dawg in the hospital. Needless to say, those who didn't know much about the mutant were left… shocked, to put it mildly.
"Yes-"
"You were on fire?!"
"Again, yes-"
"How are you okay!?"
"Because-"
"You should be dead!"
"Yeah, but-"
"You need to go back!"
"No." Mad Dawg said flatly, before taking a long drink. "I've been through worse. And honestly, I'm fine now. I've gotten over the worst of-"
"You were on fire!"
"We've been over this!" Mad Dawg yelled exasperated, throwing his hand up in the air, annoyance clear on his face and in his voice. "I really, really appreciate the concern, but I'm okay! I'm pretty sure I could put a bullet into my head and I'd be fine!"
"You say that like you've done that before."
"Not in my head, but chest, legs, arms and lungs, yeah." Mad Dawg muttered under his breath, not really wanting to have this conversation. "I'm fine."
Everyone either knew Dawg well enough to let the issue go, or they were just unable to think of what else to say, so they let it go with an awkward air amongst them. Mad Dawg clearly noticed this… and didn't care. Now that he and Lisa had a sort-of partnership, there was a good chance that he'd be outta here by November. Frankly, if he didn't have to be here during that month, he'd really prefer it… Still, he didn't know what Lisa needed to help build a, doorway for lack of a better term. But once she knew, he'd grab 'em and get 'em to her, he could tell that while bonds were being made, he was playing a dangerous game… The issue was, he couldn't tell who he had upset, as unlike with the Bad Blood incident, none of them had tried to beat him into the ground. Yet…
"Screw it." Dawg thought, shaking his head slightly. "I'll deal with this later."
Mad Dawg looked around, then shut the propane on the barbeque off, knowing the less explosive gas he had around that could result in bad things, the better. He took a second and watched the group interacting. As per usual, Clyde and Lincoln were talking, the girls were socializing amongst themselves, the bad was laughing, and the parents were talking to one another. He felt like this was the kind of social event these people lived for. A chance to hang out, have some food and laughs…
So, why did Mad Dawg feel like an outsider?
Yes, he was an outsider in a literal sense, what with being from another dimension and all. But after the time he had spent here, he felt like he had friends, he felt happy! But now, when everyone was together… It didn't make sense. Was he just having an off day? Maybe…
"And let me guess, here's where Virus show- yup. There's that freak." Mad Dawg mentally sighed seeing the dead DJ in the corner of his vision. He seemed to distort and twitch like a broken animatronic, or a broken Omni-
"Hey." A voice spoke up, pulling Mad Dawg from his thoughts. Looking over, Mad dawg saw Lynn Sr. standing a few feet away.
"Sup." Mad Dawg nodded.
"Uh, are you alright? You kinda seemed to black out there for a second." The Loud Patriarch asked. His tone wasn't one of questioning and indifference, but one of concern. Mad Dawg let a small smile form on his face.
"Yeah, I'm good." He replied with a nod. "Just thinking about some stuff. Trying to figure out what I'm doing with my life in the coming months."
"Mind if I ask you something? It might come across as… offensive, but it's something I think needs to be asked." Mad Dawg simply nodded, signaling to go ahead: "When you were… in that costume, or other body, or… I'm sorry. I don't know how to explain it… what happened in your mind? You were going into a room with my daughter and her friends, and from the footage that was taken, it seemed like you were about two seconds away from killing everyone. Is that… still a thing? When you're like this?"
Mad Dawg looked away, seemingly embarrassed, before sighing, and rubbing his arm. For the first time, Mad Dawg seemed shameful, more than anything. "It's what they wanted me to be." He admitted. "Everything I've told you, the mutation, the being a living weapon, none of its false. They tried to make me violent, insane, yadda, yadda. Whenever I become that thing, I lose control. It's an animal, that's all it is. It thinks about violence, bloodshed, and nothing else. Truth be told though, it failed. I have control, and I fight it every time it wakes up. I'll make no secret I'm not exactly a great person, but hey. Who is? When I'm, well, me. I just want to be normal. I just want to try and live a normal life."
There was a silence from the pair, Lynn Sr. clearly felt awkward, not having expected the answer he got. But at the same time, it made a lot of sense, for what it was.
"Frankly, Mr. Loud? I don't know what to tell you." Mad Dawg finished with a shrug. "Sorry about that."
"This is all new to you, isn't it?" The father of the Louds asked, realizing something Mad Dawg hadn't said, but knew he was implying.
"Kinda. Yeah." Mad Dawg nodded, but smiled nonetheless as 'N' walked up. "But hey, it is what it is!"
Lincoln and Clyde were passing by when they overheard a quiet conversation happening a few feet away.
"Yo, we still good for later tonight?" 'N' asked, quietly, leaning over. "If this isn't a good time…"
"No. It has to be tonight." Mad Dawg said quietly. "If not… bad things are gonna happen. I can't let that happen."
"What's that about?" Clyde whispered.
"No idea…" Lincoln frowned. "You think it has to do with that monster thing?" Neither noticed the other few people who had noticed or overheard the conversation, and none of them reacted in a way that hinted towards that being the case. But it was clear there was the faintest hint of uneasiness in the air, but then again, they assumed it probably had to do with the band.
Tossing an empty can over his shoulder, Mad Dawg walked back to the group, slipping into the fray and joining a conversation. About an hour passed, everything was cleaned up and no one was in any hurry to get going, and the sun began to set, casting the yard in a cool night air with some stars visible among the clouds, Mad Dawg seemed to be plotting something that would either be awesome, or end up with him in the hospital.
"Hey, I got an idea." Mad Dawg smirked, looking up at the night sky, then to the others. "You guys wanna bounce over to Coyote Acers and keep goin' through the stories? I'm pretty sure we're done here, all things considered."
"Yes!" Lincoln and the few who knew what Mad Dawg was talking about exclaimed. The others looked to one another in confusion.
"Hold on, what?" Chunk blinked.
"Dawg's been telling these stories based on the seven deadly sins. They're amazing." Lincoln explained. Mad Dawg walked by, and grabbed some keys for his ATV and looked back to the group.
"Anyone who wants to ride with me, c'mon. Everyone else, I'll see you there!"
"I'm riding with him." Clyde remarked, surprising a few of those present, and Mad Dawg nodded. Getting onto his ride, he waited a few minutes until the others had dispersed, and then kicked the engine to life. The two tore off a bit faster than Clyde had expected, and Dawg just laughed at his surprise.
"C'mon man! I've barely even opened her up yet!" Mad Dawg laughed, grabbing the throttle and taking off once again. At first, Clyde was fairly unsettled by the fast, almost chaotic drive. But after a few minutes, he felt his stomach settle and let his fears melt away. "Hey, so apparently you and Linc are working on some stuff for Halloween. Anything I can do to help?"
"Like what?" Clyde shouted to be heard over the engine.
"Dude, I've spent most my life getting around through parkour and sneaking through places I shouldn't. I've found all sorts of secret passages and shortcuts around this town, if you want me, I can make you guys a map, or I can help solidify some of the paths so you can get around faster."
"You'd do that?"
"Totally!" Mad Dawg smirked. "Dude, I LOVE Halloween! This is the one time of the year when I can get away with just about anything! I've got some plans in the works, and it's gonna be amazing!" It was clear Mad Dawg wanted to say more, but Coyote Acers appeared in front of them and Mad Dawg skidded to a stop, killing the engine. When he and Clyde arrived at the fire pit, it was (predictably) deserted. Clyde and Dawg set to starting the fire, having it going as the others arrived. Lincoln, Lynn Jr., Luna, Lucy, Sam, Chunk, 'N', Ronnie Ann, Bobby and Leni showed up. Because of the increased numbers, another log was dragged over to provide extra seating. Mad Dawg seated himself in his usual spot and looked around, tossing some greener leaves onto the fire to get some smoke going.
"So, I know we have some newcomers." He remarked, looking around the fire. "I don't have the time, patience or gummy sharks to re-tell every story, so here's the long and short; my family told me tales of the seven deadly sins. Except each sin was a person who embodied that sin to such a large degree that they literally became that sin. The only way out is to be exceeded by someone who embodies it even more."
"Essentially it's like being a record holder?" Leni asked.
"Exactly." Mad Dawg nodded. "So, we've been through four of the seven. Gluttony, greed, envy and pride. That leaves three, and I'll only ever tell two tales at a time. Let's continue with them, shall we?"
"If Dawg doesn't get a job being a radio announcer of audiobook narrator, he's wasting his potential." Bobby remarked, impressed with Dawg's theatrics.
"There was a man named Tomas Kellerman who had similar goals to everyone; wealth and power. He had a simple mindset, work hard, reap the rewards. He may not have been the smartest, but he was a hard worker. Day by day, week by week, he worked to the best of his abilities at his places of work. He never really found a place that seemed right until he ended up in a granola processing plant. Years passed, he grew older, but he never lost his resolve and drive to ensure his quality was always achieved. This was noticed by those he worked with, and in time, they made him their leader. Because if someone had his work ethic, they wanted him to spearhead their projects to ensure quality."
"We've done pride…" Clyde muttered.
"And envy." Lynn Jr. added. "So, it can't be either one of those…"
"He became revolutionary, changing the way the world worked from the ground up." Mad Dawg continued. "But in time, he grew bored with it, so he hired others to do his job. He was so powerful, he could simply observe and guide them from what I guess you could almost call an outsider's position, and everyone was fine with it. Eventually, he stopped even doing that, just content to leave his creation in the hands of those he trusted."
"And he felt wrathful after someone stabbed him in the back?" Chunk asked.
Looking around, Mad Dawg took a quick drink, then smirked, those who had previously been here, knowing what that meant.
"However, not everyone felt the same way, and those he hired began making changes. At first, they were so small that no one noticed, but gradually they began changing things more noticeably. Even beginning to change the product itself. Tomas didn't like this, and wanted to change things back, but he was so complacent with his new position that whenever he tried to, he felt like he would deal with it tomorrow."
"Sloth." A few muttered.
"Well tomorrow came, and then there were more changes. Then more, then more…" Mad Dawg waved with a hand. "Tomas saw his creation becoming successful, making more money than he ever could've imagined, even when he was in charge… but since he hadn't kept a position as manager or CE, he was left on the sidelines, reaping none of the rewards, and all he had to do was simply get up and walk into the building to re-join with them and reap his wealth. But it was too late, the sin had taken hold, and he didn't want to do anything, so he was left where he lay, unable to move, his body wasted away to appoint where death didn't free him, food didn't satisfy him, and he simply lived on the pain and regret he felt internally. The feelings had had brought upon himself."
As he concluded the story, there was silence, then applause. The newcomers were amazed by Mad Dawg's improvisational storytelling skills, or whatever you wanted to call them, and the others were always entertained by his twisted tales of sin and suffering. Throwing some more leaves on the fire, Mad Dawg bit his lip.
"So… this one might seem messed up, but I promise you this isn't going where you think it does." He began awkwardly. "Quick question, who knows what the secondary definition for 'Lust' is?" As expected, the entire campfire went silent as everyone took in what he had just asked them. Mad Dawg laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.
"Look, I swear this isn't going where you think it is." He admitted.
"Maybe you should just tell us what you're getting at." Bobby finally said, breaking the awkward silence.
"Okay, yeah… uh… it's defined as 'a passionate desire for something' and it doesn't have to be the more adult meaning." Mad Dawg explained. "It can be a lust for knowledge, a lust for power, and so on."
"Kinda seems like this would be the base sin for all these stories then." Clyde remarked. "Shadow lusted for knowledge, gluttony lusted for food…"
"In a sense, you're absolutely correct." Mad Dawg conceded. "But let me tell you how this sin went down. The tale I was told focused on a woman named Diamant LaCroix. A French noblewoman in the 1800's. To her, she loved feeling joy. The warmth of love, the sense of excitement around friends, the rush of happiness from doing what you enjoy, that's what she lived for. She was rich, so she could afford to do all sorts of things that would bring her these feelings. And for the most part, she brought them onto others as well. Those who she was friends with shared in the happiness, the warmth the excitement…"
"This seems… familiar." 'N' remarked, musing over something.
"Anyhow, as time went on, the things that mad her happy gradually… didn't. She needed more, so she had more extravagant gatherings, bigger lifestyles, and for a time, she was sated. But eventually that failed too." Mad Dawg continued. "She grew desperate, and turned to extremes to try and make herself happy. Creating a world where she could live in with no limits, no end, and nothing to drag her down. She wanted to feel happy, she was desperate for those feelings… and she drove them out of her. Eventually, even the extremes failed her, and she gave up. She no longer felt… anything."
"Wow… that's… horrifying." Lincoln muttered. "How do you not feel… feelings?"
"Who knows." Chunk shrugged, equally taken aback by the sudden twist.
"In time, the only thing she felt was sadness, but even that ran out. She believed her life was over and wanted to move on to the afterlife, but because of the rules of the seven sins, she was now immortal. Cursed to live until someone surpassed her, or she was forgiven… however that worked."
"Wouldn't she just have to forgive herself?" Leni asked. "That doesn't seem too hard…"
"I think she wouldn't feel that she needed to, and therefore, she can't forgive herself." Lucy remarked dryly. "It's a cycle she's now trapped in forever."
"And there's no way out? Unless someone ends up worse than her… she's trapped forever?"
"Pretty much, yeah." Mad Dawg nodded. "But unlike others who were sentenced to drown for eternity, or be unable to move from their vices, she had an interesting case. As she lost all feeling, she became blue in a literal sense. Her blood slowed, and her body shut down. Eventually, she returned to her manor where it all began, and stood in front of her garden. The garden where she first felt the drive for more. With the last bits of emotion, she had, she whispered; 'Si c'est là que je reste, permettez-moi de rester non pas comme une personne coupée des sentiments, mais comme une statue, destinée à être aussi froide que la pierre pour l'éternité.' As her body turned to stone."
"What did she say?" Ronnie asked, confused.
"Oh. My bad. She said: 'If this is where I remain, then let me remain not as a person cut off from feelings, but as a statue, destined to be as cold as stone for all eternity.' And so she did." Mad Dawg translated. "She turned to a statue, solid rock. Cold and unfeeling, until she would eventually be released by someone unfortunate enough to lust after a feeling of joy as much as she had… And that, my friends, is where the story ends."
Mad Dawg smiled sadly, thinking about the stories he was telling, and who they were based on. Was it right? Maybe not… but… eh, he didn't much care. They were stories, plain and simple. The group was impressed, but also accepted they needed to get going as it was getting late. 'N' offered to stay behind and help tear down the place, and he and Dawg quickly finished the job before looking around and then heading towards the forest, not noticing Leni and Ronnie-Anne following.
"You sure you wanna do this?" 'N' asked.
"We have no choice." Mad Dawg admitted.
"No, I'm with him on this." Bobby added, appearing from somewhere. "This might not be a good idea kid, there has to be a better way."
"But there isn't." Mad Dawg admitted. "I took the first steps, and it worked, but I need you guys, or… someone, here when we go further."
"Alright. Fine." Bobby sighed, raising his hands in defeat. "What do you need me to do?"
"There's a dart gun next to the log over there. If this goes wrong, don't hesitate and fire everything into me." Mad Dawg ordered as he picked up a large shackle and affixed it to his neck. "Other than that? Don't panic."
Once the two older men were in position, Mad Dawg breathed deeply, and then twitched, trying to change without pain being the motivator. It took about ten minutes, but something sparked and his whole body seemed to spaz out. The transformation was horrifying to watch and to listen to, and was a nightmare for Mad Dawg… but so far, he hadn't lost control. Once the 'Beast' had been awoken, Mad Dawg walked forward, but grunted in annoyance when he felt the chain-leash pull him back.
"Kid, you in there?" Bobby worked up the courage to ask, waving a hand in front of Mad Dawg (well, about seven feet away, but still) and watched as the Beast followed the hand. "I don't believe it…"
"This… this is both amazing… and terrifying." 'N' blinked. "Okay, Mad Dawg, uh… act casual."
It took a minute, but the Mad Dawg's body language changed to a much more… relaxed one. His head still snapped back and forth involuntarily when 'N' or Bobby moved, and it was clear sudden movements was a bad idea, but he was trying his best to keep calm.
"That… is… amazing…" Ronnie-Ann whispered. "I thought they were lying!"
Leni didn't move, she didn't breathe. How was someone supposed to react to a lanky teenager turning into a werewolf-hybrid monster!? On the one hand, yeah. That was really cool, but on the other hand, it seemed like his hands could crush her skull without a second thought. Still, all they needed to do was remain quiet back away and-
Leni's phone when off in her pocket, vibrating and playing her ringtone loudly. She jumped in shock, and the whole mood seemed to shift. The hopeful anticipation was shattered into terrifying fury as Mad Dawg lunged towards the noise, pulling at the tree and threatening to tear it out at the roots. It was clear his animalistic side had taken over, and he was NOT happy.
"Hey! HEY!" Bobby shouted, getting Mad Dawg's attention, but not aiming the dart gun at him. "Tranquilo, kid. Calm down…" His words didn't have the effect he was hoping for, as Mad Dawg's back arched aggressively as he turned to face him, like a coyote trying to assert dominance. Bobby looked to his hand, and threw the dart gun away. The simple action confusing Mad Dawg and freaking 'N' out. "Okay, calm down. We good?"
"Rrrhh…" Was the only response he got.
"Leni? Is that you?" Bobby called, looking to where the faint light was coming from. He waited for about ten seconds and still didn't get a response. "Leni, if it is you… I need you to trust me."
"What?" Leni finally mustered up the courage to say.
"I need you… to come into the clearing." Bobby managed to get out.
"What?!" Leni exclaimed in shock.
"I think he's right." 'N' added, keeping his eyes on Mad dawg, who was seemingly fighting with himself, shifting from angry to calm, then back to angry, then back to calm. "I think Mad Dawg thinks you're here to attack him, or at least, this animal side does!"
"Okay, and it probably wants me dead! I'm not coming out!"
"No!" Mad Dawg snarled, seemingly trying to collect himself. "Not… hurt… you…"
There was something in the way he spoke, the struggle to formulate words competently, that made Leni and Ronnie pause. He didn't sound angry, he sounded almost desperate. Finally, the older Loud sighed in defeat.
"Bobby, if he kills me, we are SO breaking up!" She stated for the record. Slowly but surely, Leni walked into the clearing, seeing Mad Dawg looking directly at her. To everyone's surprise, Mad Dawg stood to his full height in this form, and then sat down with his back against the tree. He watched Leni and Ronni come forward, and seemed to have calmed down a great deal, now simply wanting to know if anyone else was out there.
"Yes! YES!" 'N' shouted victoriously. "You're doing it Dawg! You've got control!"
"Sorry, you mind explaining to me what's happening here?" Ronnie-Ann asked looking around. Bobby seemed shocked to see her, and looked to 'N', who clearly seemed to know the most.
"So, after the kid got Cajun-fired, he contacted me saying he needed help. Turns out, he has some control over this side, hence why he could film with us. But he wants to control this on like, another level. He wants to train himself to be as calm as he is when he's human. So, I agreed to help, and he somehow talked Bobby into helping as well."
"Does that work?" Leni asked, only to jump again when she saw Mad Dawg walk up beside her. He was… massive, to say the least. His body was animalistic in most ways, but still somewhat human, it didn't look like those costumes she had seen people wear online, it seemed like an animal. "Uh, hi?"
"Hey." Mad Dawg nodded. Slowly, Leni reached out and rubbed some of the fur on Mad Dawg's arm, and then her eyes widened and sparkled like diamonds.
"SO… FLUFFY!" She exclaimed, hugging Mad Dawg's arm, leaving the mutant looking around in absolute confusion. "I really hope this is your hair, and not… never mind."
"It's… not…" Mad Dawg muttered, looking down at Leni, who was still enjoying the feel of Mad Dawg's fur. "It's not that fluffy…" He didn't notice Bobby walk behind him and stick something into his neck, and with a CLANK! The collar fell to the ground. Now, everyone stood back and watched as Mad Dawg took a few deep breaths.
"I… feel…" He managed to get out, then paused, seemingly correcting himself. "I feel... good."
"That's amazing!" Bobby smiled, looking at Mad Dawg, and simply taken aback by what was standing in front of him.
"Yeah… I feel good!" Mad Dawg exclaimed, and then suddenly ran off, shocking everyone present. Running deeper into the woods, Mad Dawg laughed and began jumping off of a stone, and then swinging off of a few trees as he flew through the forest. For the first time in his entire life, he felt like he was in control of this side of him. He felt like this wasn't 'another side' of him, it felt like it WAS him.
Running on his hind legs, Mad Dawg skidded to a stop, on a large rock that seemed to reach out for the sky. Looking down, he could see a good chunk of Royal Woods below him. Laughing, and for the first time, feeling excited about himself in this form. Mad Dawg looked at his hands, then up to the moon, and let out a loud cheer.
"WOOOHOO!" He roared into the sky, with what to some may have sounded like an animal's howl, other may have heard a sports cheer, but to Mad Dawg, this cry was one thing, and one thing alone.
Liberating.
